Judy - I'll Plant My Own Tree

[erichudson2009]

rest in piece both SHARON AND JUDY 

[Dexie78]

I've never heard this take before. It's MUCH better than what I believe was in essense- a "demo". Still though - she's not 100% there, but considerably better than what I've heard before.... the beginning of what I'd heard starts out something like: "Soundtake 8-13".

[iwannabewonderful]

Judy really declined after this. Hold fast to the last remnant of fabulous.

[bradly2007]

Judy belting it out as only she could & sounding supremely magnificent...such excitement packed all in to one song...pathos, drama, notes to end them all...Bravo Judy and you are missed!

[nandesneto]

Considering the period in which she recorded this, 1967, she was in really great voice.

This was her last studio recording, by the way.

[lacking556]

I swear I'm not one of those nut job fans who think that everyone she did was perfect...concurrently, I'm not one of those "let's trash everything she did after 1963" fans. That said she sounded good here...like the song, don't like the song..whatever...but she was in good voice and on par with her series.. Done!

[thejonquil]

Margaret Whiting sang the song for the "Valley of the Dolls" movie and Susan Hayward did the Helen Lawson part and lipsynked the lyrics excellently. Judy Garland was great but this is the first time I heard her version and it is powerful. She could definitely have pulled off the part in the movie. Susan did wonderfully. The Golden Era of Hollywood produced such exquisite talent who could do anything.

[19171969]

Just to have Judy sing that song in the movie would have been enough. I could see her rip into that song and show WHY Helen Lawson was a STAR.

[east215]

judy was in great voice,

[SFKennyn]

Yes, Judy was a great star, but at the end the booze and pills along with her exhaustion took it's toll. She probably was too "off" to play the role and/or the subject matter hit a little too close to home. I like Susan Hayward's portrayal and I love the movie. It's one of my all time faves.

[MerleOberon]

I'd kill to have been on that set!

[Sondheimsbitch]

This is the Worst song of her career

[geosdgeo]

The movie, on the whole, was truly not worthy of Judy Garland. It had enormous potential, but only exceeded in the venue of high melo-drama. I believe she purposefully arranged to get fired, so she wouldn't have to endure being part of such a dud. Nonetheless, Susan Hayward was outstanding in the part.

[naltrexone23X]

I agree with you, and I'm glad she didn't do it. The movie would have been a blemish on the face of her amazing career.

[mrspatrickcampbell]

Judy signed because she needed the money. She soon realized the film was trash and arranged to get fired. simple as that

[jimblackwood]

@mrspatrickcampbell I beleive in Gerald Clark's bio "Get Happy", he writes of judy having lost her caps for her teeth and having to make a mad dash about LA getting replacements(?) prior to the start of her scenes being filmed. She hoped to buy a home with the money but alas....

[johnnilesh]

Judy's performance of "I"ll Plant My Own Tree" is at the apogee of her talent. The pathos, the drama, the glory that she infuses into each note is only of one who has lived life and performed on the stage of life! Judy - I love you! Thank you.

Sincerely,

John-Niles of California

[TDog14126]

@johnnilesh oh shut up. =P

[connieg99]

As a big Judy Garland fan all I can say is it's a shame she didn't get to make this movie. It was not a dud ...it was great melodrama and she and Patty Duke would have given a preformance ..Judy Garland also missed out I understand on the movies "Royal Wedding" and "The Barkley's of Broadway" but we have what we have....and she was the greatest entertainer in the world....with maybe only Dame Shirley Bassey to offer her even the slightest competition.

[geosdgeo]

I think she made it her own. The movie was a real dud. It was good that she didn't do it. It would not have been a befitting end to a brilliant movie career.

[Sugarbehr1967]

Thank you for the clarification..

[Sugarbehr1967]

The sad part of it all is that Jacqueline Susann based the character of Helen Lawson on Judy..ironic how art imitated life..and truly a sad ending to such a phenomenal career..watching this made me appreciate Judy even more..

[east215]

Actually Helen Lawson was based on Ethel Merman. Neely O'Hara was based on Judy.

[Tigerlily21]

Thank God she didn't star in this joke of a film is all I say. I say it's a good thing. I've seen gay guys say this would have been a dream come true to say their gay icon star in Valley of the Dolls since it has such a gay following too but I thank heavens she didn't. She was already a mess in her real life, give her SOME dignity. lol.

[luvyaAdamo]

i love the editing for this video

its amazing

[waif55]

She sounded far better on the Carson show two months before her death in 1969. This is for collectors only. It's a ridiculous song--though on par with a lot of her material; she did not cultivate a great catalogue--and she is in very poor voice. Still, there's that moment at the end when she's trying to give the old crescendo, and tho she doesn't quite make it, the blood still warms and the heart pounds to hear her try. That was her magic pull.

[martinimerlin]

I have this recording -- outtakes, never used numbers from musicals. Judy singing this song..and Jack Nicholson singing from "On A Clear Day" with Streisand.

[wag954]

Thnak you for the post. I Love Judy!

[ericlovesjudy]

Garland was also slated to have recorded the "Theme from 'Valley of the Dolls.'" Garland did NOT like "I'll Pland My Own Tree," and her conductor, Bobby Cole, wrote a song for her called "Get Off Looking Good," which Garland sang only once, at a concert during her 1967 tour. Fox didn't like the Cole song; Garland said Fox should be "grateful" that he had written it...

[JimmyCFO]

Poorly written song?  Get Real, its a great song. When someone like Judy sings "Howdy Neighbor Happy Harvest" or "I Could Go On Singing Till The Cows Come Home"......then this song is no worse or better than they are. Its Judy that gives them their magic. Shes sung A LOT of poor songs, and poorly too, but they are still great.

[Montavani]

Bravo still! . . . all considered. Still colorful and good to hear ...

[drewqq]

What a shame--her voice is so booze-addled, but she can still bring it on. It's really amazing considering what bad shape she was in in "67

[inmyguts]

The voice is as compelling as ever. I've read that this was not the final take, it was to be recorded again, but do to Judy being fired, it never happened.

[Cynlauperfan]

WOW, I really wish that Judy was able to get her self together enough to complete this film. So sad that they had to fire her and replace her with susan hayward. Susan Hayward did give an excellent performance.

[blonjon]

Judy did not feel that the Previns knew how to write for her and had Bobby Cole write her a song that she loved and wanted to do in the film. She actually sang the song (can't remember the title but it was about finishing your career looking good) a capella at a concert at Setan Hall in New Jersey. She sang it a capella because her accompanist, Cole, refused to play it with her. The drummer came in for the finish and it tore the place apart.

[normanlamont]

There was a website, that may or may not still be in existence, called the "Judy Room" that offered that recording for download. I believe the song is called "Get off looking good".

[johnnilesh]

Miss Garland's extraordinary interpretation of "I'll Plant My Own Tree" is another of her vocal triumphs! One can truly hear the pathos she infuses in each lyric as the golden notes flow from her extraordinary voice. As Ed Sullivan once said "She is truly one of the greats!" Judy - I love you!

Sincerely,

John-Niles

[bradly2007]

This thrilling & mesmerizing Garland vocal would have really added so much to Valley Of The Dolls as nobody can nail this type of song like Judy...the way Judy's voice makes the climb to the finish is awesome!!!

[ettienne18]

Yes, the Garland voice had thinned somewhat by 1967, but Judy had incorporated EVERYTHING she had learned, since the age of two, into her stage performances; the nuance, timing, and delivery were all very much in evidence. Remember the wonderful Ethel Merman? No one ever accused her of being the greatest singer in the world, but the great Ethel could SEll a song better than anybody else (Broadway mainly). This is where Judy was in 1967.

[UltraBVR]

I'm not a huge Garland fan, but I do admire her talent and her work. I am a big fan of the film "Valley of the Dolls", and I love Garland's rendition of this song. Hearing the difference between this version and the version in the movie, I can't think of many singers who really attack their material the way Judy did.

[SILKCUT28]

Absolutely fantastic! Whatever the state of her health throughout different periods of her life, she still did what others will never be able to do. Through her vulnerability she touched people in a way that only the touched can appreciate. Its great to come across such rarities, thank you for posting!

[Montavani]

Exactly Silkcut28 . . . thank you.

[doboramma]

What a treat! Thank you for posting this!

[joannamichelle72]

i've been trying to define the meaning of love for the last few years of my life, i'm 35, and i've always been confused especially when it comes to men, you love them like crazy and the next minute hatred and its over, family? well yes ok, that is love in a certain way, now when it comes to my precious animals, my god, yes, i love them so much and i feel the same about judy, since i was 15. i love her so very very much.

[19171969]

I've read that she had to do retakes of certain scenes which leaves me to believe there has to be film footage of Judy on Valley.

[stanykb]

I know for a fact that she did shoot footage on the movie, and I'm almost positive it's Helen Lawson's first scene, i.e. "tie a tin can to that little broad's tail". From what I heard, Garland's estate will not approve the public showing of the footage. Otherwise, it would have been included in last year's "Valley of the Dolls" DVD release.

[geo31]

if all of you want to find a "nice" gay icon, try Dixie Carter, "Julia Sugarbaker". I interviewed her once, and she is completely fabulous, exquisitely beautiful, incredibly articulate, and more than anything, she is, at heart, a country girl from McLemoresville, Tennessee. That's what I call a diva I can get behind!

[geo31]

does anyone have any video of the scenes she actually shot for the film? What a gem those would be to have, seeing Judy as Helen Lawson, even for just a few moments.  Go Queen Judy!

[johnnilesh]

One of the great tragedies of 20th century cinema was that Judy Garland did not appear in Valley of The Dolls. I have waited a lifetime to hear her sing I'll Plant My Own Tree, and it was worth the wait! Judy's interpretation is exquisite! Judy - I love you!

With love,

John-Niles

[damone77]

I disagree, you can't fake genuine affection and niceness as a saying. How can you possibly judge whether or not Judy was nice?  From what she left behind; and these tapes clearly show that Judy was a very nice person

[DA90027]

AMAZING, I've never heard this before...she does sound shaky but she was a mess during this time, so sad really, she was a great singer at one time.

[danabettis]

the voice was gone, she was gone, but i love it from the bottom of my heart. she gave and gave and i wish i had this on dvd so i could listen to it everyday. whoever owns it, you should be proud. thank you thank you i will take judy any way she sings. i will never say a bad word or wish she had not done it. she was magic!!!!!!

[tehlen]

I agree with John. If I didn't know this was from the later years I would think it was from the early 60's. I think she sounds very good.

I actually own Judy's movie contract for Valley of the Dolls. It came up for auction earlier this year from the 20th Century Fox vaults auction in NYC. It is my prized possession.

[johnmana97]

Yes, I read a while ago on The Judy Room that Judy's Valley Of The Dolls Contract was for sale. I would have loved to have it. But one thing that was up for sale that I'm surprised never sold was Judy's early recordings that were going for $40,000 . Yes that is an expensive price, but I would have thought somebody would have bought it.

[tehlen]

Hi John. I also thought someone would have picked up those recordings. I seem to remember the minimum price was $20,000. Given the incredible uniqueness of those recordings, I thought someone for sure would have grabbed them. At the Swann auction I also got the letter from 20th century letting her go from the contract. That is also signed by Judy. I think the 2 items together make a really nice collectible.

[johnmana97]

Love this video! Judy in 1967 actually sounds better than she did in 1964! So I really wish she had appeared in this film, Valley Of The Dolls. It is not exactly know if she didn't appear in the film. Theories are either she was so insecure to film. One rumor that has been going along for years is that she looked in the mirror and thought she was to ugly to be in the film. But That's just a rumor.

[FrankiesMom]

Judy said it best when she likened herself to sex:  "Even when I'm bad, I'm not that bad."

[Montavanni]

Still -- splices, difficult circumstances or whatever -- hefty traces of the Garland brilliance still surface here . . . and besides, by 1967 who didn't "splice" . . . was nothing new then and goodness knows it is employed enthusiastically today with digital tech . . . thanks for posting this. It was more enjoyable than I thought it was going to be -- surprisingly good in spots . . . ciao.

[defundthewar]

Well tell me how to get hold of those tapes, I've got to hear! Re: Judy being nice, I heard Torme asked if Judy was nice and he said no- nice is for ordinary folks, not a bigger-than-life, outsized personality like Judy, no, you could not say she was "nice." I read the exact same thing about Piaf. Think about some of our other icons- Sinatra, Chaplin, Mae West, Hope & Crosby, Crawford, Davis... not "nice" either.

[damone77]

Wayne Martin recorded all of his conversations with Judy, and they still circulate in Garlandia. These tapes basically demonstrate what a truly nice person Judy was. I think that originally Judy wanted to do "that dirty movie" because of financial concerns; not because she admired the book.

[damone77]

To Defundthewar,

In the Wayne Martin tapes with Judy, Judy says that the book is "Dirty". I truly think that she didn't particularly want to be in it. In fact she was so insecure about the project, that she asked Wayne(her number 1 fan) to come watch her shoot the movie. The movie is a great movie, but it would have been even better with our beloved JUDY!

[defundthewar]

Damone, it sounds ridiculous, but "Valley" in 1966-7 was like "Harry Potter" is now. Whether you read it or not, or cared about the subject matter or not, you certainly heard of "Valley" and Jackie Susann then, & knew what it was about. It is improbable that Judy, who didn't exactly live under a rock, found out that "Valley" was "dirty" only after agreeing to be in it.

[Montavanni]

I agree. There has been much misinformation circulated about this situation and your comment, I feel, is accurate. thank you

[sglynch]

very poor song, i feel, and i think judy was aware of it. she is not in top form , to my ear, and apparently there are many, many edits that splice this performance together. she gives this song her all, however , but her upper register and her vibrato are out of control.

[defundthewar]

Judy was offered $75,000 to appear as the Ethel Mermanish Helen Lawson in "Valley." It was an important character in the movie, but a quick part. There is dispute, even now, why Judy wanted to get fired- was movie-acting now too difficult, did she realize the project was crass commercialism, or did she discover the Neely character was based on her, or any combination of the above? Different sources offer different explanations.

[damone77]

Hi Mandeley,

Beautifully constructed montage~ really enjoyed it. Judy didn't like the Previn's song very much, and wanted to sing a song in the movie called "Get off looking Good" Judy was in good voice for "I'll plant my own tree" but it is not one of the previn's better efforts. I love "You're gonna here from me". Anyway thanks for posting!